10/11/2025
In November, I completed my 6 World Marathon Majors journey. I became the 10th Estonian woman to do so - and so far the fastest - with an average finish time of 3:07:58.
I found myself on this 6-star path after running the Boston marathon in 2022. My dad was very sick at the time, and it turned into an emotional race that shifted something in me. Continuing with these big events gained meaning, even though chasing all six had never been on my bucket list.
The major marathons are (mostly) not about running your best time. There are too many uncontrollables: jet lag, travel days, transportation, tens of thousands of runners around you. You might do really well on the flatter courses like Berlin, Chicago, London, and even Tokyo if luck is on your side. But chances are you’d run even faster on a similar course in same conditions without all the logistical chaos.
My journey was definitely shaped by circumstances. In Boston, I had slept only four hours for three nights in a row and developed a cold right before the race. In London, I was way sicker than I wanted to admit. I ran Chicago only four weeks after completely exhausting myself at my goal race of the year, recovering from an upper respiratory infection. In Tokyo, I was coming back from iron-deficiency anemia and ran the race with low effort, unsure if I’d even finish.
I finally managed to stay healthy for Berlin and arrived well-prepared - only to be met with a hot day and deciding to not run all out. And New York was always meant to be just for the experience. By then, it was my third marathon in six weeks, and my quads let me know it from the 25th km to the finish line.
Despite it all, I loved the journey, and I’m glad I completed it. Nowhere else in the world can you run 42.2 km surrounded by so much energy and support from spectators and fellow runners - it’s truly something special. Like a celebration of human endurance 🥳 Yes, you can! Nothing is impossible.
After all the cheers and fireworks, I’m looking forward to some smaller, closer, cosier marathons where you can show up 15 minutes before the gun goes off and step right onto the start line 😊
